Tattooing

Types of Degrees Tattooing Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many permanent cosmetics/makeup & tattooing graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	88
Basic Certificate	2

What Tattooing Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to tattooing were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Tattooing Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Tattooing Majors

tattooing majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Tattooing Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a tattooing student include the following:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

What Can You Do With a Tattooing Major?

People with a tattooing degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	13.0%	$24,730
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance	12.5%	$64,250

How Much Do Tattooing Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $30,190 to $72,030 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to tattooing. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Tattooing

Some careers associated with tattooing require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to tattooing have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	9.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	14.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	61.4%
Some College Courses	6.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	6.7%

Online Tattooing Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Tattooing Worth It?

The median salary for a tattooing grad is $30,190 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Trades Related to Tattooing

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to tattooing.

Major	Number of Grads
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist	50,210
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist	40,040
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist	13,960
Barbering/Barber	9,893
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist	2,907
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts	2,184
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician	1,729
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design	1,238
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor	1,230
Make-Up Artist/Specialist	440
Electrolysis/Electrology & Electrolysis Technician	354
Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager	336

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Tiffany Bumgardner under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.